S3U4L2 - What is in an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is made up of living things and nonliving things.

The answer is "no" for each question. Living things do not remain alive forever.

And some nonliving things become part of living things.

For example, water is nonliving but becomes part of the animals that drink it.

An ecosystem refers to the living and nonliving parts of an environment.

It's a community of plants and animals that live together and with nonliving things, such as water, soil, air, and sunlight.

These nutrients are taken up by the roots of the forest's plants and are needed to keep these plants healthy.

The sunlight is needed for the algae and other producers to make food and to grow.

Without sunlight, none of the living things in the coral reef could survive.

"Eco" means home, and a "system" is an organization of parts that work together.

So an ecosystem is an organization of the living and nonliving parts of an environment, which is a home for living things.

Much more space is taken up by water ecosystems.

About three-quarters of Earth's surface is covered by water ecosystems, and about one-fourth is covered by land ecosystems.

An animal can be a first-level consumer if it eats plants.

The same animal can be a second-level consumer if it eats another animal.

For example, a bear is a first-level consumer when it eats berries.

The same bear is a second-level consumer when it eats fish.

Decomposers make it possible for plants to reuse matter that once was part of living things.

Without decomposers, the matter from living things could not be used again after these living things died.

Weather makes the conditions to support different types of living things.

For example, if an ecosystem is always hot and dry, it will support desert plants and animals.

If an ecosystem is always warm and wet, it will support tropical plants and animals.

No, there are many living things in each ecosystem that you will not sort because there would be too many.

But you will sort living things that are usually found in these two ecosystems.

Yes. they do. Plants, algae, and other producers capture light from the sun to produce food. All living things—producers and consumers alike—depend on this food to live.